Trump once again steps up attacks on TV networks as he threatens to revoke licenses | Trump administration

Dealing with aggressive questioning from Mary Bruce, an ABC Information White Home correspondent, in regards to the homicide of Jamal Khashoggi and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, Donald Trump final week recommended a type of punishment he thought can be acceptable for her “crappy firm”: the Federal Communications Fee ought to revoke ABC’s license, the US president declared.It wasn’t the primary time he has carried out so. As he has sought redress for what he has thought of to be unfair reporting about him and his administration, Trump has recommended at the very least 28 instances over the past eight years {that a} tv community ought to lose its license, based on evaluation by the Guardian.However whereas the FCC doesn’t really license nationwide networks, it does license the native tv stations they personal or strike affiliate offers with.Anna M Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC, stated after a fee assembly final week that Trump’s threats are hole. “Apart from the flexibility to make issues troublesome for these we retaliate, this FCC is powerless to actually retaliate in opposition to a information community,” she stated, noting that no native station licenses are up for renewal “any time quickly.”Right here is the complete historical past of Trump’s threats:201711 October 2017Tweet from Trump“Community information has change into so partisan, distorted and pretend that licenses have to be challenged and, if acceptable, revoked. Not truthful to public!”11 October 2017Tweet from Trump“With all the Faux Information popping out of NBC and the Networks, at what level is it acceptable to problem their License? Dangerous for nation!”20184 September 2018Tweet from Trump“NBC FAKE NEWS, which is underneath intense scrutiny over their killing the Harvey Weinstein story, is now fumbling round making excuses for his or her in all probability extremely unethical conduct. I’ve lengthy criticized NBC and their journalistic standards-worse than even CNN. Have a look at their license?”202018 September 2020Campaign rally in Minnesota“You recognize, within the outdated days, if you used public airwaves free, you needed to get a license. I hold saying in the event that they’re reporting pretend information, how come they will hold getting a license? Whether or not it’s ABC, whether or not it’s NBC, CBS, or in fact CNN, which is, I imply, it’s one of many nice jokes of all time: CNN or MSDNC.”202416 January 2024Campaign rally in New Hampshire“Final evening, NBC and CNN refused to air my victory speech. Consider it, as a result of they’re crooked, they’re dishonest, and admittedly, they need to have their licenses or no matter they’ve taken away.”11 September 2024Interview with Fox & Buddies“I believe ABC took a giant hit final evening. I imply, to be sincere, they’re a information group. They must be licensed to do it. They ought to remove their license for the best way they did that.”12 September 2024Truth Social submit“ … I felt that additionally, however no Politician ought to ever do a Debate with ABC Information. They’ve confirmed NOT WORTHY, and hopefully an investigation can be carried out as as to whether or not they gave the Debate inquiries to Comrade Kamala, whose finest good friend is a high ABC Govt. If she did give the inquiries to Kamala, ABC’s license needs to be TERMINATED. Bear in mind, Donna Brazile works for ABC, and he or she gave the inquiries to Hillary Clinton!”10 October 2024Truth Social submit“60 Minutes is a serious a part of the Information Group of CBS, which has simply created the Best Fraud in Broadcast Historical past. CBS ought to lose its license, and it needs to be bid out to the Highest Bidder, as ought to all different Broadcast Licenses, as a result of they’re simply as corrupt as CBS – and possibly even WORSE!”10 October 2024Truth Social submit“An enormous Faux Information Rip-off by CBS & 60 Minutes. Her REAL ANSWER WAS CRAZY, OR DUMB, so they really REPLACED it with one other reply so as to save her or, at the very least, make her look higher. A FAKE NEWS SCAM, which is completely unlawful. TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE. …”10 October 2024Truth Social submit“CBS ought to lose their license. You recognize they’ve a license – they’ve a license which is price billions of {dollars}, they usually pay nothing. All of those networks are all crooked as hell. You noticed that with ABC.”11 October 2024Campaign rally in Nevada“60 Minutes needs to be taken off the air for what they’ve carried out. You recognize what else? They need to lose their license. They’ve licenses, these networks. They’re price billions of {dollars}, however the one factor is it says you need to be sincere. That’s election interference. They’re interfering with the election. Am I proper? They need to lose their license, and 60 Minutes needs to be taken off the air.”12 October 2024Interview with Newsmax host Chris Salcedo“They pay nothing. They need to take that license away from CBS. They need to completely – they violated the entire covenant of the license.”13 October 2024Interview with Fox Information anchor Maria Bartiromo“60 Minutes and CBS ought to lose their license for that.”17 October 2024Truth Social submit“60 MINUTES SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY TAKEN OFF THE AIR – ELECTION INTERFERENCE. CBS SHOULD LOSE ITS LICENSE. THIS IS THE BIGGEST SCANDAL IN BROADCAST HISTORY. …”18 October 2024Radio present interview with Dan Bongino“It’s so dangerous they need to lose their license, and they need to take 60 Minutes off the air.”21 October 2024Campaign rally in North Carolina“60 Minutes, CBS, they usually should lose their license, they usually should take it off the air.”22 October 2024Campaign rally in North Carolina“CBS. You recognize, they must be licensed by the federal authorities. They need to take their license away.”25 October 2024Campaign rally in Michigan“CBS ought to lose its license. You recognize, the federal government, the federal government provides us license to NBC pretend information, ABC pretend information, and CBS pretend information. In the event that they needed to pay, they’d pay billions of {dollars}. They get them for nothing. They pay nothing. They’re public airways, they pay nothing. The one factor is you need to be sincere, they usually had been very dishonest.”29 October 2024Interview with Fox Information host Sean Hannity“60 Minutes, CBS. They need to lose their license. This isn’t simply modifying.”31 October 2024Campaign rally in Nevada“I believe CBS ought to lose its license, however I believe ABC ought to lose its license additionally due to what they’ve carried out. We’ll see … They need to lose their license, which is price billions of {dollars}.”1 November 2024Campaign rally in Wisconsin“What 60 Minutes did and CBS, I believe the license needs to be taken away from CBS. And I believe that 60 Minutes needs to be compelled to both shut or take a really prolonged keep.”2 November 2024Interview with Fox & Buddies Weekend“On behalf of the folks, we sued 60 Minutes and CBS. And we predict their license needs to be taken away. I believe it’s the best breach. I believe it’s the best insult to the Americans.”20256 February 2025Truth Social submit“ … CBS ought to lose its license, and the cheaters at 60 Minutes ought to all be thrown out, and this disreputable ‘NEWS’ present needs to be instantly terminated. …”13 April 2025Truth Social submit“… I’m so honored to be suing 60 Minutes, CBS Faux Information, and Paramount, over their fraudulent, past recognition, reporting. They did every part attainable to illegally elect Kamala, together with utterly and corruptly altering main solutions to Interview questions, however it simply didn’t work for them. They aren’t a ‘Information Present,’ however a dishonest Political Operative merely disguised as ‘Information,’ and have to be liable for what they’ve carried out, and are doing. They need to lose their license! Hopefully, the Federal Communications Fee (FCC), as headed by its Extremely Revered Chairman, Brendan Carr, will impose the utmost fines and punishment, which is substantial, for his or her illegal and unlawful habits. CBS is uncontrolled, at ranges by no means seen earlier than, and they need to pay a giant worth for this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”24 August 2025Truth Social submit“Why is it that ABC and NBC FAKE NEWS, two of absolutely the worst and most biased networks anyplace within the World, aren’t paying Hundreds of thousands of {Dollars} a 12 months in LICENSE FEES. They need to lose their Licenses for his or her unfair protection of Republicans and/or Conservatives, however at a minimal, they need to pay up BIG for having the privilege of utilizing probably the most beneficial airwaves anyplace at anytime!!! Crooked ‘journalism’ shouldn’t be rewarded, it needs to be terminated!!!”18 September 2025During feedback to reporters on Air Pressure One“I learn someplace that the networks had been 97% in opposition to me. I get 97% unfavorable, and but I received it simply. I received all seven swing states, common vote, I received every part. They usually’re 97% in opposition to, they provide me solely dangerous publicity. I imply, they’re getting a license. I’d suppose possibly their license needs to be taken away. It will be as much as Brendan Carr.”5 October 2025Truth Social submit“… That is simply one of many many causes that the Federal Communications Fee ought to look into the license of NBC, which reveals virtually completely optimistic Democrat content material. Likewise, ABC Faux Information – About the identical factor, 97 % unfavorable to Republicans!”18 November 2025During bilateral assembly with Mohammed bin Salman“I believe the license needs to be taken away from ABC as a result of your information is so pretend and it’s so incorrect. And we now have an amazing commissioner, the chairman, who ought to have a look at that as a result of I believe if you are available in and if you’re 97% unfavorable to Trump, after which Trump wins the election in a landslide, which means clearly your information shouldn’t be credible and also you’re not credible as a reporter.”